Combined call-bell and fire-alarm system



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C.B.BUBLL.

COMBINED GALL BELL AND PIRE ALARM SYSTEM. No. 286.529. Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

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Y C. E. BURLI.. A COMBINED GALL BELL AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. No. 286,529. A Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

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C. E. BUELL.

GOMBINBD GALL BELL ANB EIRL ALARM SYSTEM.

No. 286,529. l Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

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UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

y cuantas n. BUELL, or NEW Haven, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINEDvCALL-BELL AND FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,529, dated October 9, 1883.

Application filed January 31, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUELL, of y ing` and other analogous uses; and it consists in the combination of a Wire or Wires connecting the several rooms of ay building with an cnice, devices at each room for transmitting signals to the oiiice, receiving apparatus at the oice for definitely determining from which room signals are sent, an alarm-bell for each room, and transmitting devices at said office for sending alarm-signals to the several rooms simultaneously, the Whole arranged and operating substantially as hereinafter set forth, whereby the guests and occupants-n hotels and buildings can signal to the office and the office can give instant alarm-signals to all ocoupants' in event of fire. My invention consists in other combinations and sub-combinations, Which will be hereinafter described.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 show arrangement of eireuits and apparatus for carrying out my invention. Figs.' ay and 5 are `detailed. parts of apparatus for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 1 shows an annunciator, A, and bell G, at an ofce, with'` the wires l, 2, and 3 connected, through the annunciator A, in the usual manner, and through the bell G and a suitable battery to earth or other return-circuit at g. The Wires 1, 2, and 3 lea-d to separate apartments, and are connected to the gas-fixture of their respective apartment, and each provided `with an open-circuit push-button key, PB, of Well-known construction and operation. In each room I place a call-bell, G, of ordinary construction, preferably a continuous vibrating bell. Theeleetro-magnet of said call-bell G isv included in a branch Wire, b, that connects between the Wire l, 2, or 3, as the case may be, and the'wire 4 in dotted lines, the Wire 4c being a Wire common to the several rooms and normally terminating at the office Without a charging-battery,` butin such relation to the switch S that, when occasion requires, the battery commonly employed -to operate the annunciator A and bell G can be connected to Wire 4, making operative the several bells in the various apartments for giving an alarm, the current from the battery dividing through the magnets of, the several bells G and being.

returned over the gas-pipes. A separate battery maybe employed, and any other returncircuit be used in place of the gas-pipes to opcrate outgoing signals from the oiiice. I have shown the bells G in a branch-Wire, b, so disposed as not to be made operative by the closing of the push-button key l? B, but adapted to be made operative by the same battery and return-circuit used for signaling from the rooms to the oice. At the terminal of the branch b in each room I place a thermostat, T, adapted to act by heat, to transmit, automatically, the signal from the apartment in which it is placed that would be transmitted by the push-button key of such apartment. The preferred form of thermostat is to be hereinafter described. By arranging the said .thermostat in such relation to the call-bell G of its respective apartment, and With the push-button of the thermostat T.

Fig..2 shows a modification of the system shown in Fig. 1 and described. A represents a register of any wellknown construction for receiving and recording signals, as employed in district telegraphs. is placed in the ofce of a ,hotel or factory, and its electro-magnet E M included in the Wire T/V, Which is normally charged, and which extends to the various apartments ofthe building, and is returned over the gas-pipes or other return-circuit. A call-bell, G, is also placed at the office, and its electro-magnet included in the Wire YV. At each apartment a signal-box, B, and call-bell G are included in the Wire vVV. The signal-box is adapted to This register f the office for controlling the force on the wire transmit a definite number-signal for each apartment in a well -knownv way, the callbell G at each of the apartments being constructed and adjusted to remain inoperative with the currents of normal strength, and is preferably a continuous vibrating call-bell of ordinary form. Vhen it is desired to transmit a call from either room to the office, the handle X of the signal-box B at such room is turnedfrom its position of rest and the clockwork in the box B wound up, and in 'ruiming' melt by an abnormal temperature, and thus release the partly-wound-up mechanism of the box B, sending a signal to the office by the action of heat. A resistance, R, is shown at W. The boxes B are adapted to be operated by han'd to turn in signalsv to the office, and to be automatically started by the action of heat. Vhen an alarm, is to be sent to the several rooms, the switch S is turned to connect with the branch wire h, cutting out the resistance R and electro-magnet E M,and, by augmenting the force in wire W, making operative the several call-bells G and sounding an alarm simultaneously in all the rooms.

Fig. y3 shows the wire W with the electromagnet of the register and the call-bell G at the office, the electro-magnet E M being adjusted to be normally with its armature retracted, a resistance, R, being in a remote portion of the circuit-wire W, the signal-boxes B at each room being adapted to put on and take off a ground or branch wire, g2, when running down, short circuiting the battery and making operative the receiving apparatus at the office. An electro-magnet with polarized armature PR is included in a remote point of wire WV from the office, and adapted to cut out the resistance R, when made operative, by a reversal of the currents on wireV, the call-bells G being adjusted to be operative when-the force in the wire NV is greater than that employed to send signals from the rooms to the office. To send alarm-signals to all the ro oms simultaneously, the switch S is turned to connect wireWwith a battery ofopposite polarity from the battery ordinarily used. This change cf current cuts out the resistance R by the action of electro-magnet P R, Land the alarm-bells G sound an alarm, the cutting'out of the resistance R having the same effect as increasing battery. The register-magnet E M l may be placed in a local circuit and made op- Fig. 5 represents a continuously-acting circuit-changer,77 s'o called, which is adapted to send rapidly-succeeding pulsations to the different rooms to make operative tap-bells in place of vibrating gongs, as G G. The operation is-asl follows: When the switch S at the office is turned to connect thebattery to branch wire h, the current from the battery passes by spring c over the armature of the electromagnet V, and through the helices of said electro-magnet, which then attracts said armatureand brings spring c in contact with stop a, discontinuing thecurrent through the electro-magnet helices V, and sending the current of the battery to the tap-bells in the several rooms. The armature is immediately retracted into contact with spring c, and the operation described is rapidly, repeated. Thus, in place of continuously acting or self-acting gongs, tap-bells may be rapidly sounded in the rooms. The form of automatic vibrator described in Letters Patent No. 249,296 mayL be used in place of that shown in Fig. 5 and described.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a preferred form of thermostat to be employed with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. It consists of a spring, K, secured to a metal shell that is adapted to be screwed to the wall or ceiling of a room. The spring 7c is retracted against the stop z' and soldered thereto by an easily-fusible solder, so

as to come in contact with the insulated plate j when unsoldered by an increase of temperature, and by such contact to close the branch b and w'ire l, 2, or 3, making operative the receiving apparatus at the office over the wire l, 2, or 3, as case may be.

Other forms of circuit-closing thermostats may be employed in place ofthe one described without departing from my invention, and a thermostat combined with a push-button keyY may be used, as shown in another application.

In Fig. l the wire 4 (shown in dotted lines) may be a wire or awater, steam, or otherpipe or conductor, as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 262,887.

The several rooms can be called by separate keys or successively, as shown in my Letters Patent No. 262,887 but for hotel equipment the mode of ringing of' the several alarm-bells IOO IIO

simultaneously, as herein described, is recomhotels and buildings, the combination Aof -the` following-named elements, to wit: an office apparatus adapted to receive calls, one or more wires leading from said apparatus to the apartment-s of the hotel, batteries 'for charging said wire or wires, devicesin each apartment adapted to transmit calls to said office, an alarmbell in each apartment adapted to respond to alarm-signals from said office, a thermostatic l l I 'l i l i 286.529 l s device in each apartment adapted to be kreleased by the action 'of heat to transmit an alarm-signal to said office, and means at the office for transmitting alarm-signals to the several apartments, the Whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with an annunciator and bell located in an office or other convenient place in a hotel, with Wires leading to the several rooms of the building, batteries for charging said Wires, and a key at each room adapted to transmit calls to said annunciator and bell, of thermostat in each room adapted to become released bythe action of heat, to transmit an alarm-signal to the office, and an alarm apparatus in each room adapted to respend to alarm-signals from the office, and devices-at the omce adapted to transmit alarmsignals to the several rooms, substantially as set forth.

3. A series ofwires extending from an office to several apartmenis of a hotel or other building, with devices for each apartment adapted to transmit electric signals to said oflice by a make and break of a circuit independent of the other apartments, electro-magnetic apparatus at the office for denoting from which apartment signals are sent, independent devices at said office for transmitting` outgoing signals to the several apartments, and electromagnetic ap parat-us in each apartment adapted to respond only to the action of heat and to signals sent from said office, and a thermostat in each room that is made operative by the action of heat upon an easily-fused metal, and adapted to transmit alarm-signals by a make and break of the circuit to said oice and sound an alarm in the apartment in which said active thermostat is located, independent of other apartments, substantially as described.

4. In the equipment of a hotel-room, the combination, with a transmitting device and connected apparatus adapted to produce a definite call-signal 4at a remote part of the building, of an electro-magnetic alarm apparatus adapted to remain silent when said transmitting device is made operative, and a thermostat in said room adapted to make operative the signal-receiving apparatus in the remote part of the building, and the alarm apparatus in said room', sim11ltaneously,u'hen acted uponby heat, the Whole arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. v

5. The combination, with an apparatus located at a hotel-office and adapted to receive calls, with wires and batteries, and keys in the several rooms of the hotel for transmitting calls to said office, of a thermostat in each room adapted to be made operative by the action of heat to transmit an al arm-signal to said office, and an alarm apparatus in each room adapted to respond to alarm-signals from said` office, and devices at said office for transmitting` alarm-signals to the several rooms simultaneously, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the annunciator A, bell G, the Wires l 2 3, the keys Pl3,thebells G Gr, the thermostat T, Wire 4, and switching` device S, for transferring the battery from the annunciator-circuits to the alarm-circuit 4, with return circuits and connections for the several parts, the -Whole arranged and operating` substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a combined call-bell and fire-alarm system, an office provided with apparatus adapted to receive call-signals and to transmit outgoing alarm-signals to several apartments simultaneously, one or more wires for connecting said office apparatus with the apartments of abuilding, devices at each apartment/adapted to transmit a call-signal to said office, and an alarm apparatus at each apartment adapted to respond to signals sent from said office, and to remain silent when signals are sent from 'apartments to the office,

8. .The combinatiomwith the annunciator A, bell G, wires l 2 3, and keys P B, for receiv ing and transmitting call-signals, of the alarmbells G G, and devices adapted to produce alarm-signals over a circuit formed in part of the circuits employed to make operative the said call-signals, andin part by a special wire or conductor.

- CHARLES E. BUELL.

Vitnesses:

J. W. Bri-1LT., A. C. BUELL. 

